Review of Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Series: Serpent & Dove #1
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (One of my favorites of 2019!)
Review copy provided by HarperTeen via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
DESCRIPTION
Bound as one to love, honor, or burn.
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.
And love makes fools of us all.
REVIEW
HELLLOOO MY DEAR BOOK AND WELCOME TO MY ALL TIME FAVORITES.
This book guys. THIS BOOK. It is exactly what I look for in a fantasy novel and has pulled me out of my YA slump. It’s looking to get super hyped and I’ll be joining in on that hype for the rest of the year. Brace yerselves.
Shelby Mahurin has created an enrapturing fantasy firmly rooted in the history of European (particularly French) witch trials. I absolutely love how she took this dark time in history and weaved her own story out of it.
In Belterra, witches are hunted and burned at the stake by order of the king via religious zealots. In turn, many witches have taken to hiding in plain sight or secluding themselves in a hidden location.
After fleeing her coven, Lou is forced to hide her true nature and resort to thieving on the streets. When a burglary goes awry, she is forced into marriage with a Chasseur named Reid, a witch hunter and her mortal enemy. Seeing this as a potential source of protection against the witches who seek to harm her, Lou struggles to hide her magic from her husband. However, as they spend more time together, she finds she wishes she could share her every secret with him, including her growing feelings, which he seems to return.
This book has so many plot elements I love but particularly fake/forced/arranged relationships, enemies to lovers and forbidden love. YES, this one is heavy on the romance and there are mature scenes and elements (reminiscent of ACOMAF, folks) but that only added to the relationship and personalities of Lou, Reid and the other characters.
Some books can easily lose their way amongst a romantic plot but no such thing happened in Serpent & Dove. We were constantly reminded and shown that Lou was constantly at risk of discovery, by the Chasseurs and her others enemies.
Additionally, I love the magic system created in this. I’ve always been a fan of systems in which magic has a cost to the user. In Belterra, the use of magic requires a balance and strategy. A memory for a memory. Vision for vision. A broken bone for a broken bone. A life for a life. It’s clear that Mahurin sought to create a complex, yet intelligent magic system and she surely succeeds in doing so.
Overall, this is a new favorite of mine and I don’t know how I’ll wait for the next book. There is NO CLIFFHANGER but the characters are definitely in a situation in which their next moves must be well calculated. I cannot wait to see what comes next!
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